


Watching for Comets

by SakumiYukime



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith gets gayer with every line, Langst, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Sad Keith (Voltron), Self-Hatred
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-03
Packaged: 2019-01-08 03:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12246369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SakumiYukime/pseuds/SakumiYukime
Summary: After a mission gone wrong, Keith finds himself standing alone under the stars, watching for comets, while he wonders,Will I ever see you again?





	Watching for Comets

_You burn so bright,_ Keith though gazing at the stars in front of him. On his mind were the dazzling blue eyes he missed so much. He kept remembering how bright Lance’s grin could be or how his laugh sounded like a heavenly choir that never failed to overflow Keith with a feeling he had long forgotten.

He could never understand why, but Lance just had a way to make him feel invincible. He and him, the two of them together could take on the entire universe and rise victorious as long as they worked together.

Lance had done so much for him, helping him in ways the boy probably didn’t even realized. He had been the one to help him get a hold of himself when he just wanted to crumble to pieces during Shiro's disappearance. He had been the one easing Keith’s temper when he was being rash and putting everyone in danger. He had been the one to hold Keith’s hand tightly and tell him he wouldn’t leave.

Lance was like a comet on the dark skies. Burning brightly in hues that made the stars be nothing but pointless gleaming spots on the immensity of the dark void. He was a comet, and Keith had lost him in the vastness of space.

Violet eyes looked around, blinking to stop how blurry they were becoming. Lance had disappeared for too many quintants after a mission that didn’t go the way it was supposed to. He pulled his knees closer, wrapping his pale arms around himself and letting the army green coat shield him and warm his back.

He felt ridiculously cold without Lance’s warmth pressing against his side, hugging him from behind, laughing at his ear. He felt so cold and hollow while he searched everywhere in the galaxy for the blue paladin. All their attempts, nothing more than failed missions that only served to raise their hopes high enough to make it harder to move on when they were forced to face reality. 

A new clue to his whereabouts was like bittersweet hope. The realization that they could have found Lance helped him staying sane, yet driven in mad everytime he clenched to it too hard. 

It had been in that same exact spot, with the stars under them, that Lance had found him months ago. Keith hadn’t even bothered to stare back at him, mumbling out a complaint and a prayer for Lance to leave him alone.

“What were you thinking?” Lance said. Keith wasn’t looking at him but he didn’t need to. He knew every line that was written on Lance’s face only by the sound of his voice. “You can’t just dash into an entire fleet like that!” Lance waved his arms, trying to amplifying his point somehow with the movement.

Keith ignored him.

This wasn’t the first time someone had tried to lecture him for being too reckless. And it wouldn’t be the last.

“Are you listening to me?” Lance’s voice grew more annoyed with every second Keith ignored him. “You’re a quiznacking idiot! You put all our lives in danger so you could go out there and be a _showing off asshole_!”

“Are you done?” Keith wasn’t really in the mood for this. He knew what he had done. He knew he had been reckless but he also knew that since the team had split up to assist a couple of distress signals the castle had picked, they couldn’t form Voltron. He knew he was reckless but he wasn't going to let any of his friends be so exposed to the enemy when he knew he could take them out by himself. He wasn’t taking the risk of having Lance injured thanks to a stupid trap.

“No! I’m not done!” The blue paladin grabbed Keith's t-shirt, keeping a strong hold on him while he red paladin stared back at him, unamused.

“Look! I’ve already heard enough from Allura. Could you just lay off-”

“Allura wasn’t there!” He shouted back, voice almost overlapping Keith’s, “I was!”

His violet eyes widen as he went surprisingly quiet. His lips were just slightly parted, opening and closing for a while. But he couldn't find words.

Lance’s grip on him had tightened, “Look! I don’t care what Allura or anyone else told you!” His blue eyes were lit with a fire that made Keith stop questioning why Lance was there. “This has to stop! You can’t just go out there like you're the king of the world, get yourself in danger and expect us to be ok with it.”

“Ok. I get it.” Keith tried to back away from the other paladin, but Lance had him frozen. “Just drop it, Lance!”

“I’m not dropping anything. We’re a team! Do you even know what's _that_ supposed to mean?”

“I -”

“We’re here to help and protect each other. All of us.” Lance’s blue eyes stared right into the darkest corners of his own, “I was there! I could’ve helped you!” He swallowed the dryness of his throat. “Or I’m not even good enough for that?”

Keith didn’t like the way those blue eyes wavered, or the way Lance’s grip on him lost some strength.

“Lance, that’s-”

“Just because you see as some pathetic failure, doesn’t mean I can’t do anything!” His voice was surprisingly soft, even if he tried to hide his moment of weakness with irritation. 

“Lance!”

“I was there! And I had to watch you almost getting yourself killed because you’d rather be selfish than sink low enough to ask for my help?”

“Lance!” Keith called his name, eyes widen in shock and fear, alarmed by what could have crossed that mind. The brown haired teen seemed to take a step back when his eyes met Keith’s, even though he hadn’t move one bit. “I’m reckless and a hothead! But that’s on me! It has nothing to do with you!”

Lance was about to start protesting, but the red paladin cut him off.

“I was an idiot for not asking for your help. I’m sorry. I never realized you would feel that way!” The other boy was astonishingly quiet, looking down at how Keith’s thumb repeatedly rubbed against his finger. “I just didn’t want you to get in danger.”

The words felt like a punch in his stomach, knocking Lance’s air out of his lungs. He wasn’t imagining, was he?

“Keith… Stop joking around, I-”

“I’m not joking!” The red paladin didn’t waver,  still surprised how he had managed to put his feelings into words. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you!”

Lance furrowed, face twisting into confusion and surprise, but Keith had looked at that boy enough times to see the small hint of relief wash his featured. Lance smiled, “I didn’t knew that you cared…”

Keith smiled back slyly, momentarily forgetting how to breathe thanks to the burning in his chest. Maybe it wasn’t too late for them. “I do…” As soon as the words came out he was looking away, but nothing of that matter when Lance softly giggled at his embarrassment. “I care about you,” Keith repeated the words when he mastered enough courage to do so, letting his forehead rest against Lance’s. The Cuban boy smiled, “I never thought less of you. We all struggle with our own battles, that doesn’t make us less than anyone else.”

Lance laughed silently, “You really think that?”

“Yeah…” Keith pressed closer to the other boy, feeling his breath brush against his face. He took Lance’s hand, holding it tightly with his own, “I’m struggling too. I’m so used to being myself, I keep forgetting I have and can rely on others to help me. I know you guys are here. I know we’re a team. But when something happens, I never think twice.”

“Yeah…” Lance offered, “I’m sorry for rambling at you like that…”

“It’s ok. You were right, I was being an asshole.” Lance giggled at that, and Keith felt like he had won the space lottery. “I promise you I won't do it again,” he mumbled under the stars. “Or at least, I’ll try not to do it again.”

Lance’s arms were around him in a moment, filling his whole body with a warmth that made him feel fuzzy. Those dazzling blue eyes looked at his own, for a moment, and Keith could count an entire galaxy of stars in them. They were so close he could feel Lance’s warmth breath against his face. The blue eyes stared at lips and then back at his eyes, while he licked his own in a silent request.

Keith smiled slyly and let his hand come to rest behind Lance’s neck. The blue paladin dived first, and Keith closed his eyes, allowing the anticipation to painfully make his heart throb.

But the moment Lance’s lips were on his, he didn’t have a single care in the world. Nothing mattered. It was only him, the beautiful boy in front of him, and the foreign growing warmth on his chest.

They kissed under the stars, in a silent promise to care, help and love each other.

Lance was a comet, and he lost it.

Keith and the team had spent too long looking for him. Searching and following clues that lead to nothing but trouble. Yet, not being able to find him, didn't make Keith's will waver. He hated himself for not being able to protect him. He hated himself that Lance had been faster and taken the hit himself to shield them. He hated himself for losing him somewhere in between the stars. 

But, he knew Lance was alive.

If Keith was a hot head, Lance wasn't that far behind when it came to challenges. 

They had made a promise. And, just like any of their silly competitions, they were on a taunt to see who could keep it going longer. 

So Keith knew Lance would never allow himself to lose their foolish competition like that. Keith knew he was fine, somewhere out there in the immenseness of space.

When Allura told them they would be taking the day off their appointed schedule of looking for Lance, Keith was the first one to protest. He couldn’t just sit around and do nothing, while the blue paladin was somewhere out there. He couldn't even bring himself to think what could have happened to him. Keith was also the first one to grow silent and understand why Allura had suggested it.

So he left, unable to continue hearing Hunk’s desperate protests, or Shiro’s reasonable arguments, Coran’s mindless opinion, Pidge’s cracking voice or Allura’s collected tone. They all wanted to find him just as badly as he wanted. They all knew the risks. They all were struggling between reason and despair.

And that was why Keith was standing alone under the stars, watching for comets, while he wondered,

_Will I ever see you again?_

Lance had promised he wouldn't leave. Offering slyly that he would be there every time Keith called his name.

Everybody needed someone in their lives to brighten their days and give them a reason to keep a smile on their faces. Everybody needed someone, but they can’t feel like this, breathless and hollow with nothing but a burning feeling on their chests.

“Lance…” His violet eyes blurred as he looked at the dark skies. _You were gone so fast,_ he thought, unable to remember all the details of his disappearance. The second he had realized something was wrong, Lance was already gone. “Please, I want you back!” He wished recklessly.

But that was ok. Because Keith was selfish and reckless, and he just desired him to be back and give purpose to his life again.

He crossed his arms in front of himself, pulling the coat closer while he buried the tears in his knees. The vargas passed like the stars in front of him, but he didn’t move from his spot for a single tick. He was reckless and selfish and if he moved it would be to get into his own lion and do something Lance would have wanted.

And he didn’t want to do that.

He could hear hurried pacing in the halls behind him, and when the door swung open the didn’t bother to look.

“I’m sorry, Hunk. But I’m not hungry.” He refused dinner, apologetically.

Silence lingered in the air for a while, enough to make Keith wonder if he should turn around and apologize for the trouble more decently.

“Keith…” The voice was desperate and yet relieved. Coming out in a gasp that was swallowed before any sound was made.

He knew that voice.

That wasn’t Hunk.

Keith turned around, violet eyes widening as he stayed frozen in time. Lance was smiling back at him and making all the colors around them burst back into life. A hiccup left his mouth, followed by a trail of breaths he couldn't really muffle. He couldn’t move, but he didn’t dare to close his eyes, fearing Lance would fade into nothing more than one delusion if he did.

_But he wouldn’t._

And Keith knew that the moment the blue paladin dived into his arms, hugging tightly like it was the last time they’d be together.

“I’m sorry,” He cried out, hiding his head on the crook of Keith’s neck, “I’m so sorry.” Keith held him as tightly as he could, like the strong embrace could make Lance stop shaking.

He couldn’t breathe and yet he was breathing just fine as long as Lance was safe in his arms.

He couldn’t stop shaking and yet he was staying still as Lance held to him like he was the last pillar stopping him from crumbling to pieces.

He was on fire, burning in a warmth that only Lance could give him.

“I missed you.” Keith cradled him closer.

“I’m here!” Lance answered reading Keith’s words better than he himself could. “I’m not leaving.”

Keith smiled, knowing Lance would never lie to him. But he never closed his eyes, fearing that everything faded away if he did so.

A love like this happened once in a lifetime and Keith wasn’t planning to let his slip away. He hugged Lance closer, hushing his cries with soft words of comfort. He was never good at it. And he would probably never be any good at it, but for Lance, the least he could do was try.

The blue paladin clenched his fists around Keith’s shirt, “I’m sorry. I'm so sorry,” he mumbled in his shoulder. Keith tried to help him, but he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to calm him down or let him cry everything out.

So he simply stayed there, holding the brightest star in his arms, while he struck his soft brown hair and laid a trail of small kisses on the top of his head, forehead, and cheeks.

Everytime he tried to wipe the tears away, more and more follow, and he himself wasn't sure why he wasn't crying. Maybe seeing Lance crumbling in his arms made him find the strength to remain whole, for both of them.

Lance was a comet, burning brightly in shades that made Keith feel warmer on the inside.

“You burn so bright.” Keith whispered into the brown hair, “You gave me strength when I wanted to give up. And I love you so much.” Keith was burning, face heating slyly with every word. “I will always love you,” he said watching the comets paint the sky in front of them. “Love you until you learn to love yourself.”

Lance sobbed but didn’t say a word, only pressing harder against Keith’s chest.

_You burn so bright, you burn me up tonight._

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading.  
> If you liked it, feel free to leave a comment or kudos. ♡
> 
> Inspired by this [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWb4LUpL6Io)
> 
> Tumblr: [SakumiYukime](https://sakumiyukime.tumblr.com)  
> 


End file.
